The bolstering system is pretty decent, but it falls apart once you hit level 40. Then you don't really stand a chance against other level 40s that have been playing a while and are much higher RR / much better geared.

To at least help address the gear disparity for new level 40's and improve their playing experience, what about a new type of bolstering that takes into account how long you have been level 40? It would boslter you and gradually diminish as you are 40 over time, with the supposition that you are gearing up during that time and narrowing the gap between you and more seasoned players.

Just a thought, because I can tell you as a new player to the server -- when I hit 40 on each of my characters, the game experience really plummets at that point. You feel like you're wearing paper and swinging a wet noodle when you ding 40

What's to stop people who have played the game for years hitting 40 and then having bolster to smash people into oblivion?

Bolster is there to help new players get to grips to the game, it's not necessarily there to keep you competitive, which is why there is a sharp curve at hitting the end-game. You've managed to sail through the T4 content (which should've been locked from you) from 16-39.

If there was no sense of gear progression, there'd be no feeling of reward for getting that sweet loot drop, or new gear set. Sure, it sucks starting out at 40, but everyone goes through it, and it makes it that much more rewarding when you start developing your character.

Is it not viable to keep it at 48 for a time? Or perhaps flag certain items like Vanquisher pieces or similar power items that will remove it straight away? I feel like the ones who make the best use of the exp reduction scroll might make massive use of this by having better items be bolstered straight away after they hit 40. Anyway, worth a discussion I suppose. Maybe players who've been in City or ranked scenarios as fresh 40s might have some better insight into how bad it is.

Is it not viable to keep it at 48 for a time? Or perhaps flag certain items like Vanquisher pieces or similar power items that will remove it straight away?

This would completely nerf gear sets, because they would effectively remove stats that bolster would have otherwise provided. Unless the bolster wasn't the same strength as a full vanq set, in which case, you'll still get squished by people in full sov - making the purpose of the level 40 bolster irrelevant.

I feel the OPs experience might mirror those who were boosted during the XP events, where you are able to level a character to 40 relatively quickly, but miss out on the plethora of medallions and emblems you would have gotten (as well as other loot), thereby making you a level 40 character in relatively low level gear. If you level as per normal, you should be getting tons of emblems and medallions to be able to buy your gear as you hit said gears level requirements.

For example, my knight, who I leveled during the XP event, got to 40 wearing Duelist gear and I was broke for higher gear tokens. My current main, an engie, has tons of soldier medallions which I’ll use right away when I hit 29. And he already has a stockpile of invader, conqueror and Vanquisher tokens growing. It’s a much easier experience, gear wise, compared to what I experienced on my knight.

I feel the OPs experience might mirror those who were boosted during the XP events, where you are able to level a character to 40 relatively quickly, but miss out on the plethora of medallions and emblems you would have gotten (as well as other loot), thereby making you a level 40 character in relatively low level gear. If you level as per normal, you should be getting tons of emblems and medallions to be able to buy your gear as you hit said gears level requirements.

For example, my knight, who I leveled during the XP event, got to 40 wearing Duelist gear and I was broke for higher gear tokens. My current main, an engie, has tons of soldier medallions which I’ll use right away when I hit 29. And he already has a stockpile of invader, conqueror and Vanquisher tokens growing. It’s a much easier experience, gear wise, compared to what I experienced on my knight.

I agree with this in principal, but Conqueror still puts you in "barely ever registers as an enemy" compared to players in Sov.

Why do all these whine posts feature the same format? Always OP complaining about X but with no context at all (time played, first char?, what's gear?, what's level, what's class, what was the situation, 1v1, 2vsYour melee lv23 WP?, talisman? Which ones?, etc.) I don't understand how on every char I've lvled to 40, I've NEVER had problems, even on fresh RR35 lv40 WE, once I got a subj weapon from first purp bag, I started doing just fine in damage, I expected to get smashed by high RR geared players knowing I could catch up with determination and picked fights with advantages. But OP literally in disbelief his weakass fresh lv40 can't dominate a rr89 sovereign enemy, like wtf, man the **** up because it's not the game, its you, the game literally gives you participation medals for sucking ass and you still want more, work for your **** jesus

The current development team has made the early sets like the Ruin sets and Conq. pretty strong from a defensive standpoint. Onslaught is pretty awesome for certain classes. Beastlord too. The winds amulet set is obtainable at 35 or 36 and is probably BIS for defense. Their work has been elegant and innovative and generally balanced. They have greatly reduced the power disparity but it is still there - but that really is the point of these kind of games.

The reality is that lower RR 40s need to understand they are squishy and shouldn't expect to go toe to toe with that rr70s and 80s. If you are playing a leveling MMORPG - the goal is to level and gear up and get stronger. Learn positioning and group up as this is a team game. A well organized 6 man can be dangerous regardless of their gear and whom they face, but skill luck, rr and gear matter.